Douglas County elementary schools start Wednesday

Returning from summer break, students can look forward to moving up a grade in school, seeing their old friends and having electrolyte-replacement beverages instead of sodas in their school vending machines.

The first day of school for Douglas County elementary schools is Aug. 23 while secondary schools start Aug. 28.

Robbin Pedrett, principal of Pau-Wa-Lu, said her middle school students can expect some great new stuff, such as more nutritious food offerings, more elective classes and new laptop computers.

“There won’t be any sodas in the beverage vending machines,” Pedrett said about meeting nutritional guidelines set by the state.

Sold in the vending machines will be bottled water, Gatorade, Snapple fruit and tea drinks and assorted fruit juices.

“The meals will have a healthier slant – less sugar, salt, fat and more nutritious foods like salads,” she said.

Better nutrition won’t be so hard to swallow with lunch menu choices such as french dip, sub or grilled cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, grilled chicken, Mexican and Asian dishes, pizza and baked potatoes.

Salads, steamed vegetables, fresh fruit, soup and rice are offered as side dishes.

Students will hardly miss sodas and might appreciate the new elective classes offered this semester.

Pedrett said in addition to chorus and pottery, the school purchased steel drums for a music elective and added a rocketry class where students build and race carbon dioxide cars.

“We offer outdoor science this year,” she said. “They learn first aid, hike and in the winter they build a snow cave. There’s always a field trip to put the things they learn to use, like survival skills.”

With an $80,000 grant from the state, the school bought laptop computers and software for math and reading.

“The new visual math program uses 3-D,” said Pedrett. “They’ll be able to actually see math. For a kid struggling with algebra and geometry, they will now have a visual. This could get kids excited.

“We’ll get kids to catch up and get ahead, then offer exciting electives to link with critical content.”

Pau-Wa-Lu’s leadership class hosts a scavenger hunt for seventh-grade orientation Wednesday and Back to School night for all students is at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 6.